1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing fine powder from a grain or legume; particularly, producing a fine soybean powder used as an additive in milk, making of tofu or as an additive in other foods.
2. Related Art
Today's emphasis on good eating habits and particularly cutting down on meat and the like has encouraged people to turn to more fruits, grains, legumes, and vegetables in their diet. One particular legume that has become of more interest in recent years is soy beans. Soy beans have been used to make milk products, tofu and other products. Soy beans are high in nutritional value. However, although a number of processes are known for producing a fine soybean powder with the odor emitted and soybean fat removed, heretofore such processes have been expensive, did not totally deodorize the soy beans or did not remove a sufficiently high percentage of fat or undesirable enzymes. There is a need for a process for grinding soy beans and other legumes or grains, such as rice, corn, pinto beans, etc. to a fine powder without removing the functional and nutritional constituents of the soybeans while having the option to reduce or inactivate the enzymes as needed for the particular application. This is applicable to any other suitable grain or legume.